Mekong by Speedboat

Earlier this year I went on a speedboat trip down the Mekong river - from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang in Laos.
It was just a small part of my three month trip from Bangkok to Hanoi.

Mekong connecting Huay Xai and Luang Prabang (in blue color)

A few words about Laos

Known as the SE Asia’s most languid country, Laos is a perfect place to practise being horizontal. The country is officially known as Lao PDR - Lao People’s Democratic Republic (which is more than often jokingly referred to as Lao Please Don’t Rush) and is one of the rare countries in the world where you get to see communist flags hanging from the classic French provincial style buildings.
Fortressed by a chain of high mountains, traveling through Laos is all but easy in this slow-paced country. Since tourism is relatively new to the region, much of the country still remains unexplored by travelers, thus wrapping it in a much-yearned mist.
Despite a healthy economic growth, the country is apparently still struggling to escape its status as one of the poorest nations on Earth. Infrastructure is disastrous. Railways are non-existent. Highways are but a dream in Laos for now (at least until China decides to improve its trade routes to Thailand). The country’s most important roads are narrow and damaged, ensuring a bumpy ride. More than just a few roads are closed down during the monsoon season (flooded). River transport is very much alive on Mekong, but it’s costly.

Boat trip from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

Huay Xai is a small border town. By the looks of it, it must have once - in somewhat recent history - been an important fishing town (or maybe still is) and important link in opium trafficking.  Nowadays, the traces of the past are well hidden by the rapidly developing industry that is tourism.
There isn't much to do there. It's a ghost town once the sun goes down. Most travelers stop just for one day - unwillingly. Boats and buses leave in the early morning so whoever arrives there later is stuck there for a day. The same happened to me.

There's a reason I crossed the border (from Thailand) at this particular place - I wanted to take the speedboat down the Mekong river to Luang Prabang. It's roughly 300km down the river. I knew it was somewhat dangerous. A few people die on that river every year, crashing into rocks. Before I went there I spent quite a lot of time asking everything there is to know about that stretch of the river.

This is the quote that convinced me to take the speedboat:

the speed “boat” to Luang Prabang, about one of the most exciting things i have ever done, Lonely Planet tells you to not do it and take the slowboat instead as supposedly, people die every year crashing into rocks. Fuck that, SO AWESOME, DO IT! It took me 6 hours to get to Luang Prabang whereas the slowboat takes 2 whole days plus you look like a bitch.

by anonymous /trv/ler

I would do the trip injustice if I only said it was great. It was by far the most adrenaline-induced experience I've had in years. 300km down the river in 6 hours. Zigzaging around the sharp rocks in the middle of the river was outstanding. Even though it was a bit uncomfortable because of the helmet, life-jacket , hardly any room for legs + benches that barely passed as seats, it was well worth it.

(audio cuts out mid-video for about 30sec. I accidentally pushed the mute button)

Local girls on the riverside

Our speedboat

Rocks on Mekong